Pipe-cutter



G. w.V MILLER.

PIPE CUTTER. y APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, |920- ATTORNEY G. W. MILLER.

WMM A UNITED smrr-sV PATENT OFFICE.

' GEORGE W. MILLER; OE ii/LaivsEiELn, MISSOURI.

Application filed .Tune 22,

To all whom t may concern A Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MILLER, acitizen of the United States,.residing at Mansfield in the county ofWright and State of Missouri, have .invented new and useful Improvementsin Pipe-Cutters, of

. which the following is a specification.

ing at any desired depth, and which in-` r`cludesmeans 'for holding thesame againstk rotary movement in the' said casing and cut;- ting meansrevoluble onthe said lirstmen-y tioned means, the actuating means` forthe cuttingmeans also advancing the saine in al cutting direction. .Y

A further objectI isv the production' of means whereby sections of awell casing may be severed to facilitate the removal thereof, comprisinga member having normallylatchedV fingers which contactwith the wellicasing and hold theV said member against rotary movement thereon, saidmembervhaving as-A sociated therewith revoluble means for laterallyprojecting cutting elements which sever` the tool, means being providedfor retracting the Vfingers out of casing engagement to per' mit of theremoval of the device from the casing and the removal ofthesevered por'-tion of the casing. -Y n A still further object is to kproduce a de viceof this characterhaving :means vfor guiding the san'ie through the wellcasing, laterallyV disposed cutters-beingabove said: guide, a projectingelementpfor lsaid cutters,y revoluble-me'ans therefor, and means above-said revoluble means engaging with the casing and to which theoperating means are; connected, whereby to hold the former againstturning on the casing, while meansl is provided forbringinglnthe latterout 'of casingengagement andv retracting the cutter after the-casingor'tubehas been severed Ato permit of theJ removal of the device.fromt-he casing and the removal of' the severed porl-r tion ofthecasing'. f V

The foregoing,'and `other objects which will appear as the natureof theinvention is'better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and operative arrangement of parts, such as is disclosed bythe drawings. -The drawings, ity is to. bei

Specification of Letters Patent.

PIPE-CUTTER;

i920. `serial No. 590,932.

l understood, are merely illustrative and dis close one embodiment ofrthe improvement reduced to. practice,

therefrom may be madefas fall 'within the scope of what I claim.

In the drawings f Patented sept. 27,1921.

as suchl departures Figure l is an elevation of the improve-f mentshowing the same in a wellfcasing.

F ig.: 2 isa substantiallycentral verticali longitudinal lsectional viewtherethrough.

Fig; 3 is a' fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the lovifer portionof the improve-` ment showing .the .cutters projected, parts being. inelevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional viewapproximately.Vv

on the line 4 4 Of'Fig. l.

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary plan View of the head member of the improvement,show-1v ing the position of one ofthe gripping fin gers. in casingengaging position. Y

.Figo ,is a sectional view approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 17 side elevation' of the `r`device illustrated in Fig. 5.v p

Referringrnow to the drawings in detail, the numeral l designates atubular well casing that maybe twisted or distorted andI` which isdesigned to be `removed-in sectionsk by improvement. Y

he improvement includes acoupler 2 to` which the operatingqstem, notshown, 'is

screwed or otherwise secured. The coupler' has its lower-,end closed`and preferably re# duced and thickened and r is. centrally pron videdwitli'a-threaded opening for the re' ception of the uppergtlireaded endof a stem 3. `The stem is'heldzagainst turning in the coupling by abinding element such as' ascrew or bolt4 that-enters a threaded'open-.fy couplerl ing in the reducedend ofthe said and contacts withvthe stem 3. g

Surrounding the upper portion of the stem andyfree mounted thereoniswhat-I will'term. the headmember 5 of the` imV provemeiit. l The lieadis in the nature of?r a. `cylindrical `block and vhas at its topa'dislc` lilreplate 6 thatfis provided with equi-dis-V tan'tly' spacedangular-ly,` arranged Vslots 7. Throughthese-)slots*pass grippingfingers 8 that are fdesignedto engagewith lthe casing l to holdfthe headagainstiturning when thecoupling and the-stem are revolved. The,lingersS eacli'lias itsinner end provided with vay .spherical oryotherwise weighted heady thatgis `received in asocket 1' lO lin the head5.-. The inner.v walls of :thesockets `have cach heads of the ingers todrop into the pocketsv a central depression in whichA is s'ead a spring11 that exerts a tension against-the head 9 to projectthe fingersthrough the angular slots and force the same against the casing 1. Thefingers so projected will exert a suiiicient frictional engagement withthe casing to hold the head 5 against turnn ing when the remainder ofthe structure is revolved around the casing. The fingers, when soprojected will not', however, permit ofthe free outward movement of theim` provement through the casing, and there-V,V

fore l provide means for retracting thefin-y gers. This means includesan angle armv 12 secured on one side of each of the heads 9. Thestraight member of each-.of the arms 12 passes through an 'angle slot inthefdisk'6,

being projected a suitable distance outward against the pressure ofthelight springs 11 and the Vflat springsA 13 to bemoved inwardly sothat the fingers 8 willlbe held against the sides of the coupler 2. f

l On the under face of the head 5 there secured or there may be formed abeveled gear 15. On thefstem 3, directly below the beveled gear there is`keyed a sleeve 16. The sleeve, at equi-distant points has outwardlyextending radially disposed shafts 17, and

" on each of the shafts there is a pinion 18 that meshes with thebeveled gear 15..

The body member of my improvement is in the nature of a tubular blockand is indicated'by the numeral 19. `The body is of i secured thereon abeveled gear ring 20 withV a diameter equaling that of the head, but isof a materially greaterlength than that of the said head. The body 19 isalso free mounted on the stem 3, and has its upper end either integrallyformed with or has which the pinions 18 mesh.

The lower end of the body member 19 has a conical depression 21 thereinwhich, of course, communicates with the central opening through whichthe stem 3 passes. The inner end ofthe depression may be straight, andthe portion of the stem 3 received in the said end of the depression hasan annular groove 22 therearound. Passing trans-Y versely through thebody, and having their sides seated in suitable pockets therefor areheaded bolts 23, the said bolts, of course, engaging in threadedopeningsin the lsaid body. These bolts have conical or rounded ends 24that are received in the annular groove 22'of the stem 3.,v The body, atpoints below the'engagement of the screws carried thereby with the stem3, is provided with any desired-number of radially disposed pockets 25which enter from the walls of the conical depression 21 and whichcommunicate with reduced openings 26. The openings 26 receivetherethrough the bit portions of cutters 27. The cutters have theirinner ends headed as at 28, and the outer faces of the said heads arebeveled or arranged at an angle, `r`asV at 29, the said anglecorresponding to thatV ofv the wall of the conical depression 21.- Theheads are preferablyl square or rectangular in plan to correspond to theshape of the pockets 25, and between the inner walls of the said pocketsand the inner faces of the said heads there Yare arranged on the shanksof the cutters springs .30 kdesigned to normally force the cuttersinward of the body and the heads thereof into the tdepression 21.

The portion of the shank 3 projecting beyond the grooved` part` 4thereofwhich is; engaged by the bolts carried bythe "body may be reduced,and isthreaded, as at 31;

On the lower end ofthe shank there is a frusto-conical weighted guide32. This guide, while threaded on the shank is also secured theretovby abinding element, such as a bolt or screw 38. Above the guide, and havingits threaded bore engaged .by the threads 31 of the stem 3 is aconicalbit* projecting element 34. The element 34 has* one of 'its sidesslotted, as at 35, and in this slot is received a guide which, in theshowing of the drawings, is 'one end of a bolt'or screw 36 Awhich isVthreaded through the body 4and entersthe lower portion ofthe conicaldepression 21.

' The cutter is lowered toa desired depth in the casing 1 and the headthereof is held against turning by the engagement of thev fingers 8 withthe said casing, as previously described. The stem 3 .is revolved bymeansY connected with the coupling 2, in they usual manner. YThe turningofthe stem causes the sleeve 16 to revolve, which carrying the pinions18 which engage with the gear ring 20 ofthe body'also revolves thebody.` The turning of the stem 3, in one direction will cause thefollower or bit projecting'elementf 34 to ride upwardly on the threadedpor-V' tion 31 of the stem 3 into the conical de-4 pression 21 ofthebody. 19 which, contacting with the beveled'heads of the Shanks of theAcutters will lproject the cutters to bring the same intoengagement withthe` casing to cut the same. Itwill be noted that theelement 36 engagingin the groove 35 of the member` 34 holds .the said memberfagainstturning. Whenta :sectionof the casing has been severed the coupling V2is turned-in a reverse direction, which causes the stem! 3`to`belikewise reversely turned'so that the 'follower member 34 will: be movedoutward of the conical depression` pockets and the heads of the cutterswill bring the said cutters inward of the body. The fingers are broughtto non-casing engaging position in a manner as previously described, andthus the tool as a whole may be removed from the casing. After the toolis removed the cut section of the casing may be likewise readilyremoved. The tool may be again inserted in the casing and an additionalportion thereof may be severed and removed. This operation is repeateduntil all of the undesired portions of the casing are severed andremoved.

It is noted that the planetary gears impart a rapid rotary motion to thebody which carries the cutters, so that the tubular casing will bequickly cut.

It is thought that the foregoing description, when taken in connectionwith the drawings will clearly set forth the simplicity of theconstruction thereof, the ad# vantages thereof, asV well as theoperation to those skilled in the art to which such inventions relatewithout further detail description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, is

l. In a cutting device for well casings, a body carrying laterallydisposed cutters, and a head, means carried by the latter for engagingwith the casing to hold the head against turning, latching means forsaid holding means, releasing means for said holding means, means forrevolving the body, means for advancing the cutters to their work withthe turning of the body, and

means for normally holding the cutters against such advancement.

2. In a cutting device for well casings, ka body carrying springinfluenced angularly arranged cutters, and a head, spring influencedweighted fingers on the latter for engaging with the casing to hold thehead againstJ turning, latching means therefor, releasing meanstherefor, means for revolving the body, and means for advancing thecutters to their work, with the turning of the body.

3. In a cutting device for well casings, a body carrying angularlyarranged laterally disposed cutters, a head, means carried by the latterfor engaging with the casing to Vhold the head against turning in thecasing, releasing means for said holding means, means for revolving thehead at a greater ratiofof speed than that of the revolving means, andmeans operated bythe last mentioned means for advancing the cutters totheir work.

. 4. In a cutting device for well casings or the like, a head, and abody, laterally disposed spring influenced cutters carried by thelatter, means carried by the head for engaging with the casing to holdthe said head from turning in the casing, latching means for saidholding means, releasing means for said latching means, a stem passingthrough the head and body, means carried by the stem coengaging with thehead and with the body for rapidly revolving the latter when the stem isturned, means permitting the turning of the body on the stem, and meanscarried by the stem for advancing the cutters to their work.

5. In a cutting device for tubular well casings or the like, a head, astein passing therethrough, a body ireceiving the stem therethrough,laterally arranged spring influenced cutters carried by the body, meansfor permitting the free turning of the body on the stem, means carriedby the head for engaging with the casing for holding the head againstturning in the casing, releasing means for said holding means, means forrevolving the stem, means between the stem, head and body for revolvingthe'latter at a greater ratio of speed than that of the stem, and afollower movable longitudinally on the stem and in contacting engagementwith the heads of the cutters for advancing ythe latter to their workwhen the stem is turned in one direction, and for permitting theksprings to influence the said cutters to retract the same, when thestem is turned in a second direction.

6. In a cutting device for well casings or the like, a stem having athreaded portion, a guide on the outer end thereof, a coupling on theopposite end, means for revolving the coupling and stem, a head freemounted on the stem, spring influenced weighted in- Y gers received insockets in the head and passing therethrough and designed to beinfluenced by said springs to engage with the well casing to hold thehead against turning therewith, means for latching the ngers in su-chposition, means for releasing the latchesV to cause the fingers to bebrought out of engagement with the casing and to be so held, a gear ringon the under face .of the head, a sleeve keyed to the stem and carryingpin-V ions which mesh with the gear ring, a body arranged for freeturning on the stem, a gear ring carried thereby engaged by the pinions,laterally disposed cutters passing through the body, spring means fornormally retaining the cutters inward of the body, a conical followerthreaded on the stem for engaging with the heads of the cutters, andmeans for holding the follower against turning with the stem, as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

GEORGE W. MILLER.

